Paint can cleaning device

ABSTRACT

A device for removing liquid paint from the upwardly opening groove around the top of a cylindrical paint can and returning the paint to the interior of the can. Depending from a supporting body engageable with the upper edges of the can is a cleaner blade which extends into the groove and scrapes paint from the groove. A guide also depending from the supporting body engages the outer side of the top of the can to position the device properly with respect to the can and to prevent liquid paint from spilling over such outer side. Between the blade and the guide a scraper engages a top surface of the can to direct paint therefrom toward and into the groove for removal by the cleaner blade.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Edward A. Hennigan 201 N. Wells St., Chicago, 111. 60606 [21] Appl. No. 781,382 [22] Filed Dec. 5, 1968 [45] Patented Sept. 14, 1971 [54] PAINT CAN CLEANING DEVICE 6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 15/236 [51] Int. Cl B44d 3/16,

B08b 13/00 [50] Field of Search 15/236,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,016,775 2/1912 Ranney 37/52 2,524,475 10/1950 Renz 15/105 X 2,634,497 4/1953 Waldesbuehl 15/236 X Primary ExaminerWalter A. Scheel Assistant Examiner-Leon G. Machlin Attorney-Anderson, Luedeka, Fitch, Even and Tabin ABSTRACT: A device for removing liquid paint from the upwardly opening groove around the top of a cylindrical paint can and returning the paint to the interior of the can. Depending from a supporting body engageable with the upper edges of the can is a cleaner blade which extends into the groove and scrapes paint from the groove. A guide also depending from the supporting body engages the outer side of the top of the can to position the device properly with respect to the can and to prevent liquid paint from spilling over such outer side. Between the blade and the guide a scraper engages a top surface of the can to direct paint therefrom toward and into the PATENTEU SEP! 4 ml llllll INVENTOR EDWARD A. HENNIGAN M% f/w mail! ATTYS.

PAINT CAN CLEANING DEVICE Cylindrical paint cans currently in use are formed around their upper open ends with upwardly opening grooves adapted to receive and form seals with lips which depend from the edges of flat circular lids. ln the use of such cans, either in pouring paint therefrom or upon dipping of a brush into paint in the can and scraping of the brush on the upper edge portion of the can, the groove tends to become filled with liquid paint and such paint tends to run down the outer side of the can during continued use or to splash out of the groove when the lid is returned to the can to close the upper opening.

It is a primary object of the present invention to overcome the problem of liquid paint in the upwardly opening groove of a paint can by the provision of a novel cleaning device which is easy to manipulate to remove paint from the groove and return the same to the interior of the can.

A further object is to provide a novel cleaning device which may be grasped easily in one hand of the user and moved around the top of the can to transfer paint from the groove back into the can.

A more detailed object is to provide a novel cleaning device with a blade which extends downwardly into the paint can groove and transfers paint from the groove to the interior of the can as the device is moved around the top edge of the can.

A further detailed object of the invention is to provide novel guide and scraper means for retaining the cleaning device in the proper position on the top of the can while preventing paint from outward flow over the top edge of the can and directing the paint into the groove.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paint can with the lid removed and a cleaning device embodying the novel features of the present invention in position to remove paint from the groove around the top of the can.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the device.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cleaning device from the underside.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cleaning device looking toward the outer side thereof with the device in inverted position.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the device shown with a portion of the can.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 6- 6 of FIG. 5.

The invention is shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration embodied in a novel cleaning device 10 which is especially adapted for use with a standard cylindrical paint can 11 to remove paint from the upwardly opening groove 12 around the top of the can and returning the paint to the interior of the can. The groove is of U-shaped cross section with concentric parallel vertical sidewalls l3 and 14 and a curved bottom wall 15 joining the sidewalls at their lower edges. The inner vertical sidewall terminates in an upper edge with an inwardly rolled curl 16. The upper edge of the inner wall merges with a flat hon'mntal surface 17 which terminates at its outer edge in an upwardly projecting ridge or lip 18.

The purpose of the groove 12 is to receive a downwardly extending lip around the edge of the underside of a circular lid (not shown) for the can 11, the walls 13 and 14 of the groove cooperating with the lip to form a seal. In the use of the can, the groove tends to become filled with paint either as an incident to tipping of the can to pour paint therefrom or as an incident to scraping of a brush outwardly over the groove after the brush has been dipped into the paint in the interior of the can. Such paint in the groove tends to flow downwardly along the outer side of the can during its continued use. Also, the paint accumulated in the groove tends to splash outwardly when it is desired to reclose the can by placing the lid thereon with its downwardly projecting lip moving into the groove and displacing paint therefrom.

In accordance with the present invention, the cleaning device 10 is constructed in a novel manner to facilitate cleaning of paint from the groove 12 and other top surfaces of the can and avoid the running of paint down the sides of the can or the splashing of paint from the groove upon reclosure of the can. For this purpose, the device'comprises generally a body portion I9 adapted to rest on upwardly facing top edge surfaces of the can 11 and support a blade 21 which, as the body rests on such surfaces, extends downwardly into the groove. The body is adapted to be grasped by one hand of the user and, as it is moved around the top of the can with the blade extending into the groove 12, the blade displaces paint in the groove and transfers the same to the interior of the can. To assist in proper position of the body on the can and prevent paint from spilling outwardly over the ridge 18, a guide plate 22 depending from the outeredge of the body and extending forwardly from the body is curved to conform to the contour of the ridge and engage the outer side of the ridge as shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6. A further cleaning action is achieved by the provision of a scraper 20 in the form of a third blade depending from the body above the flat horizontal surface 17 of the can and extending across such surface from the ridge to the groove to guide the paint from the surface and into the groove. Preferably, the scraper 20 is spaced slightly from the guide plate so as to cooperate therewith to define a downwardly opening groove 23 to receive the ridge for more effective guiding of the device around the top of the can and removal of paint from the horizontal surface 17.

The body 19 of the cleaning device 10 is elongated to extend along a section of the upper edge surfaces of the can 11 and is curved to conform to the contour of the can while providing an easy shape to be grasped in the hand of the user. To conserve material and also permit nesting of one cleaning device with respect to another, a curved upwardly opening recess 24 is formed in the body to receive the blade of the next adjacent nesting device.

To perform the function of cleaning the groove 12 and transferring paint therefrom to the interior of the can 11, the blade 21 preferably is thinner than the groove and extends diagonally across the groove with the leading edge of the blade engaging the outer wall 14 of the groove and the trailing edge of the blade engaging the inner groove wall 13. At the trailing edge of the blade, a baffle member 25 depends from the body and extends across the top of the groove to engage paint flowing rearwardly with respect to the blade and guide the same crosswise into the interior of the can. This baffle also engages the top of the inwardly rolled inner curl 16 of the top of the can to cooperate with the body to support the cleaning device on the can.

The scraper 20, as noted above, also is a thin blade and extends rearwardly and inwardly with respect to the horizontal can surface 17 as across this surface. Being thin, the scraper displaces little paint as the cleaning device is positioned on the can.

The outer guide plate 22 extends downwardly a short distance from the body 19 throughout the length of the body and forwardly of the body so as to engage the outer side of the top ridge 18 of the can along a length greater than the length of the body. Forwardly of the body, the plate also extends upwardly to be flush with the top surface of the body to act as a battle preventing paint from spilling outwardly over the ridge. Paint thus collected by the guide plate tends to flow downwardly and onto the horizontal can surface 17 where it is removed by the scraper 20 and guided into the groove. From there, it is removed by the blade.

While the cleaning device may be formed of various materials, it is especially adapted for plastic injection molding as a single piece. A suitable material for this purpose is an acetal resin sold under the trademark Delrin" by E. I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., Inc.

In the use of the cleaning device 10 of the invention, the device is grasped in one hand of the user and is placed on the upper edge surfaces of acan 11 with the top ridge 18 received in the groove 23 between the guide plate 22 and scraper 20,

the body engaging the ridge 18 and the baffle 25 engaging the inner curl 16 of the can to support the device. With the guide plate thus engaging the outer side of the ridge to retain the body in proper position on the upper horizontal surface 17, the blade 21 extends downwardly into the groove, preferably to the bottom wall thereof, and the leading edge of the blade engages the outer wall 14 of the groove. The device then is moved along and around the upper edge of the can with the parts of the device remaining in the same relation with respect to the groove and the ridge. During such movement, paint in the groove is displaced by the blade and tends to flow rearwardly with respect to the blade and upwardly out of the groove where it is deflected crosswise by the baffle 25 and into the interior of the can. Paint on the upper horizontal surface 17 tends to accumulate in the corner defined by the outer guide plate 22 and the scraper and is deflected by the latter downwardly into the groove where it is transferred by the blade into the interior of the can. After the device has been moved completely around the can, it is lifted away from the can and preferably is cleaned as by a rag.

It will be apparent that the novel cleaning device 10 is easy to use and efficiently transfers paint from the upper edge of the can 11 and the groove 12 therein to the interior of the can. It may be formed easily as a one piece plastic molding and also may be cleaned easily following the operation of cleaning the can. Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that details of such embodiment may be altered without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

1. A paint can cleaning device having a body, said body having a lower surface adapted to extend along and rest on the outermost upper curved edge surfaces of a paint can above the upwardly opening U-shaped groove of the can and an elongated blade depending from said lower surface and into said groove to the bottom thereof, said elongated blade being thinner than said groove and having its leading edge engaging the outer wall of the groove and the remainder of the blade extending inwardly across the groove to scrape paint from the groove and guide the same from the groove and into the interior of the can as the body is moved along the upper surfaces.

2. The cleaning device of claim 1 in which a baffle depending from said body adjacent said remainder of said blade extends inwardly therefrom to guide paint from the blade to the interior of the can.

3. The cleaning device of claim 1 which includes a curved guide plate depending from the outer side of said body to extend along the outer side of the top edge of the can and engage such edge to guide the device around the top of the can and prevent paint in the groove from flowing outwardly over the outer edge.

4. The cleaning device of claim 3 in which a scraper depends from said body between said guide plate and said cleaner blade and is spaced from the guide plate to define a groove to receive an outer ridge extending around the top of the can. i

5. The cleaning device of claim 1 in which a scraper depends from said body adjacent said cleaner blade to approach an upwardly facing surface of said can adjacent said groove to engage paint on such surface and deflect such paint into the groove for removal by the blade.

6. The cleaning device of claim 5 in which said scraper is a thin blade. 

1. A paint can cleaning device having a body, said body having a lower surface adapted to extend along and rest on the outermost upper curved edge surfaces of a paint can above the upwardly opening U-shaped groove of the can and an elongated blade depending from said lower surface and into said groove to the bottom thereof, said elongated blade being thinner than said groove and having its leading edge engaging the outer wall of the groove and the remainder of the blade extending inwardly across the groove to scrape paint from the groove and guide the same from the groove and into the interior of the can as the body is moved alOng the upper surfaces.
 2. The cleaning device of claim 1 in which a baffle depending from said body adjacent said remainder of said blade extends inwardly therefrom to guide paint from the blade to the interior of the can.
 3. The cleaning device of claim 1 which includes a curved guide plate depending from the outer side of said body to extend along the outer side of the top edge of the can and engage such edge to guide the device around the top of the can and prevent paint in the groove from flowing outwardly over the outer edge.
 4. The cleaning device of claim 3 in which a scraper depends from said body between said guide plate and said cleaner blade and is spaced from the guide plate to define a groove to receive an outer ridge extending around the top of the can.
 5. The cleaning device of claim 1 in which a scraper depends from said body adjacent said cleaner blade to approach an upwardly facing surface of said can adjacent said groove to engage paint on such surface and deflect such paint into the groove for removal by the blade.
 6. The cleaning device of claim 5 in which said scraper is a thin blade. 